


Across the road

by MihaT



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Dark Will Graham, Hannibal Lecter is a Cannibal, Hitchhiker AU, M/M, Will Graham's dogs (mentioned) - Freeform, and it's sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-09 17:30:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16454273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MihaT/pseuds/MihaT
Summary: My version of our favorite hitchhiker AU where our beloved Nakama couple meets in a bit different way. There is an unhappy death in Will's past but maybe he can be happy again? Or there will be more of the death, who knows... (you will know, just read it! :) )My Stag Awards 2018 entry.





	Across the road

He was angry.

Or he wasn’t. He never got angry over such trivial matters. Never, at all. Anger is the enemy which takes logical thinking away from people and Hannibal valued his clear mind the most. It always was the only thing standing between him and a prison.

He was displeased. Disappointed, maybe.

Things like this shouldn’t be happening to him. Yet, it happened. He had had a perfect plan, chosen victim and excellent dinner waiting in the near future. But then, something went terribly wrong! The guy noticed him and realized what his dark intention was. A terrible mistake made by him. But what happened next seemed kind of unbelievable. The man just sacrificed his own life to avoid Hannibal taking it. Yes, he preferred the suicide over fighting for his life. How tasteless! Even more, he did it in the way which made it impossible for Hannibal to pick up his dead body for future use. The doctor could nothing but leave with empty hands. Quickly and with the hope that no one saw his car anywhere around.

He drove back home. Roads were mostly empty and nature around started falling asleep as the sky was slowly turning red and grey. The car passed a human silhouette standing on the road edge, not too far behind the last crossroad. Firstly, Hannibal didn’t pay any attention. Probably just a lone hitchhiker trying their luck…

Then the car stopped.

A hitchhiker could easily become a tasty meal… After a while of waiting, the person waved at him from behind a car window. It was a man with blue eyes, hair hidden under a hood. Hannibal grinned with a slight nod. The hitchhiker returned a smile and opened the front door, opposite to the driver. He pushed his hood down so a nice face framed in black curls peeked inside.

“Thanks so much for stopping! It’s kinda late and no one drove around for a while…” They were in a rural area so it didn’t sound surprising in any way. Nevertheless, today seemed to be simply a bad day in general. But for Hannibal, it might turn better, now! The doctor gestured to make it clear that he can sit down. The man did so right away, the door snapped shut behind him. He carried only a small bag and wasn’t dirty or smelly as one would expect from a hitchhiker. What a pleasant surprise for Hannibal!

“Good evening, mister…?” Hannibal’s head tilted with interest.

“Graham, but you can call me Will.”

Hannibal nodded again. “Where are you going, Will?”

 “Nowhere, everywhere…” The hitchhiker shrugged his shoulders. “Wherever you are.” Avoiding eye contact, Will settled himself more comfortably into the seat. The car started rolling forward slowly, silent apart from the growl of its engine and murmur of the heater.

“Looks like you are running from something…”

Instead of answering what really was not a question, Will sighed. He didn’t want to talk. “Could you turn on the radio?” His finger pointed at the thing in front of them.

Hannibal’s lips curved into a smirk. “Do it.” And so Will did. He had no interest in popular songs but anything seemed better than questions from the driver. He needed to move from this place, far away, before he would find a different car again. The radio station he chose played a rock song at the time and the man behind the steering wheel really remained silence. For about a quarter of hour. Then, a special announcement blared out of speakers:

“…is asking drivers to be extremely cautious about hitchhikers. It’s highly recommended to avoid any stranger who would try to get into your car. There is a serial killer in the Maryland area who targets drivers. However, they never take a car so this is more like their modus operandi than a real need to get somewhere. Therefore, it’s not easy to guess where they might appear next. That’s why people from neighbor areas should be careful, too.  Three victims were found so far, all left in their cars, parked beside a side road. Once again, do not let strangers-“

The voice of a broadcaster was interrupted by a loud click noise. Hannibal switched the radio off. Will got startled due to the sudden silence. Just now he noticed how fixed his look was since the last song ended.

“If you allow me…” the driver smirked at him. “You seemed disturbed by the words.”

Will only nodded. After a moment of quiet, he asked hesitantly: “Aren’t you scared?”

That simple sentence drew a look of curiosity from Hannibal. “Why should I be?”

“What if I’m the killer they were talking about?”

“What if…” Hannibal’s grin widened which sent a chill down Will’s spine. Why did that feel so terrifying?! “So, will you tell me, now, from what are you running away?”

Will couldn’t stand the maroon eyes anymore. “Okay, whatever, but please, watch the road!” Hannibal’s face finally turned away from him. The hitchhiker made himself sit a bit more comfortable again, then he revealed: “Someone poisoned my dogs, I couldn’t stay there anymore…”

“They weren’t just animals to you as they are to many people, were they?” Will sighted him with a corner of his eye, and sighed, but said nothing. “They were your friends, your family. Maybe the only one you had.”

“Yes! Right! Are you a psychologist or what?! Dammit!” Will growled as his hand disappeared in a pocket of his trousers where it clutched around something.

“No, Will,” the driver smiled again, like if he was pleased by Will’s discomfort. “But I’m a psychiatrist.”

“GREAT! Lucky me.”

“We’ll see…” Hannibal whispered, almost mysteriously. “Tell me, Will, have you ever considered finding the one who murdered your family?”

“Of course. I’m still trying, somehow…” That was a lie he kept telling himself to feel better. Or maybe to fake something. “Heck, I had been an FBI consultant before- I should know what to look for but yet, that coward is still out there!” Will felt his heartbeat rising. He was seething with emotions and shaking with memories he didn't want to recall. _This is so wrong!_

“Interesting. Didn’t your colleagues help?“ Hannibal spread the impression that the FBI connection worried him a bit. Although, he showed no real signs of that.

“They… Don’t know. I was so furious back then – couldn’t see any other human being at the moment. And then- Now, I really can’t go back to my old life.” Thoughtlessly, Will played with the thing hidden in his pocket. He considered to pull it out.

“Will, may I ask you a favor?”

Younger man’s head tilted. “Try it.”

“Please, be absolutely honest with me; what would you do to that person if you would find them?”

A suspicious sight landed upon Hannibal immediately. “What do you mean, to do them?!” Hannibal’s shoulders shrugged. For a few minutes, none of them said a word. Then, Will broke the silence. He decided to answer the question regardless of possibly hidden intentions on the driver's side. “I’d kill them. But not just like that, easily. I would torture them before – for days, if possible. I would slice them piece by piece, watch their blood dripping from the wounds and listen to their screams as to the most beautiful symphony. I- I would-“ He realized that Hannibal was staring at him again. This time it seemed almost… Hungrily? Will quickly took a breath, shook his head. “I’m sorry, that was inappropriate. Of course, I wouldn’t do these things- I would call the police or so, you know.” He let out a silly laugh.

“Of course…” Hannibal’s head slowly turned away, his eyes focused back to the dark surface of the road.

“Yeah,” Will coughed. “Hm… Eh… I- Could you just stop here? Maybe I should find another car.” _What I’ve said?! How can I be this stupid?! And what’s wrong with this man that he makes me speak?!_

“Nonsense,” the driver disagreed and interrupted the train of Will’s thoughts. “There is literally nothing around. How could I leave you at such a place when there is the killer lurking?” Tears of rain started hitting the front window. “And now this…” the doctor nodded toward the windshield and switched on wipers. “I'm taking you at least to the closest city.”

Will cursed him silently. “I’ll be fine. The killer is interested only in drivers, remember? And I don’t mind the rain… Please, stop the car!”

“No.” Instead, he increased its speed.

“What the-!” Will’s fingers were tightly gripped around the knife in his pocket. Finally, he pulled it out to stab that stupid psychiatrist. In previous cases, he let the drivers stop before attacking them, to avoid any unwanted accidents. But this time, it seemed like special circumstances…

However, he couldn’t even threaten Hannibal properly. Without slowing the car down, the doctor grabbed his armed hand. It was an iron grip around Will’s fist, his knuckles burned with pain. He wasn't able to twist the hand out or drop the knife. Or maybe he just froze due to the surprising move. Whichever was the case, it resulted in the same outcome.

“Mr. Graham,” Hannibal’s voice sounded calm and somehow playful. “It’s very rude trying to hurt someone who helped you.”

An angry frown appeared on hitchhiker’s face. “Coward! You should’ve stopped the fucking car! What are you doing?!” His attempt to take the knife with his other hand failed when Hannibal swiftly turned the blade against hitchhiker’s belly. Will could feel its tip touching his skin through the thin fabric of his shirt. One wrong motion or simply something on the road and everything could be over…

“It’s also not very nice trying to kill someone without knowing their name,” Hannibal winked like if this was just a game. “I asked for yours…”

 _What?!_ “I don’t care about your stupid name! Maybe just… Stop the car, now, and I’ll leave- Won’t try to hurt you ever again, okay?” Something already told Will this wouldn’t work but he had to try.

The other man laughed shortly. “You are a funny companion, sometimes.” Then he added with a sharp voice: “But no.”

“So, what? Will we continue like this forever?!” Will grumbled through teeth pressed together.

“Maybe I should call the police or your old friends from FBI…” Will’s heart skipped a beat. “But I would rather listen to your scream as to the most beautiful symphony.” Devil mirrored in Hannibal’s eyes as the knife plunged into Will’s body. It was a good and sharp weapon which had tasted the blood of many. And now it licked into guts of its owner. A loud cry left Will’s lungs when Hannibal laughed and wiggled the knife. Blood poured out, into Will’s lap, while his free hand grabbed on driver’s wrist. But it was useless. The more blood he lost the more his grip softened. Yet he didn’t let out another scream to please his killer. Soon, Hannibal’s hand returned to the steering wheel, leaving Will to his fate. The knife slipped out of the wound by itself; however, the man had no power to push against his abdomen to stop bleeding. In several minutes it seemed hard for Will to recognize whether he is still conscious. The pain slowly withdrew and his sight blurred. Before he lost himself in the deep darkness, Will was sure his life just ended. Hannibal, on the other hand, drove the car toward his home with his usual calm and a huge feeling of satisfaction. Will couldn’t be dangerous anymore. He already planned who to invite for this kind of unexpected dinner.

Stopping in his garage, Hannibal checked the mess on the passenger seat. Blood was everywhere, he would have to clean it carefully and probably change all interior fabric as soon as possible. But for now, he had to take care of the meat. With no expectation, he placed two fingers on Will’s neck to see if there was any life remaining.

“Interesting,” one of Hannibal’s eyebrows rose up.

***

Will woke up when a delicious smell reached his nose drills. During past weeks, he didn’t eat anything but fast food for the longest part of his life. This little promise of quality home-made food made him feel safe and warm. For merely a moment, before he opened heavy eyelids. Then he recalled everything. Or almost everything. Frantically, Will looked around to see where he was.

No more in the car, apparently. Someone tied him to a chair he sat on now. The room around reminded a dining room of some huge house he had never seen before. Only candles – many candles – brought light to the room in which he was alone. But for how long? Through glass door on his left, the moon enlightened an obscene painting hanged on the right. What kind of person would have Lada and the Swan in their dining room, right in front of the table? Dull pain rising from Will’s abdomen helped him remember the knife incident and suddenly he knew the answer. As a confirmation, Hannibal appeared behind a corner. He was smiling like a nice host while placing a plate with a cover in front of Will. Whatever laid inside smelled truly gorgeous, the same scent which had filled Will’s nose when he had woken up. But how could he think about eating anything in a situation like this? He was actually shaking, panicking a bit. When Hannibal poured him a glass of wine, Will decided to speak.

“H-hello…” His fingers clawed on the edge of the table. Corners of his mouth curled up a little.

“Hello,” Hannibal smiled back.

“Would you tell me your name, now?”

The man tilted his head, almost pleased. “Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Nice to meet you, Mr. Will Graham.” Hannibal stretched his hand forward in the greeting gesture, like if this was the perfect way how to get know one another. Will hesitantly accepted it. “You are shaking… It might be a symptom of shock.” The doctor placed palm on Will’s forehead, checked his pupils.

“I think it’s just- What happened?” Will felt so weak; he was so weak! And metaphorically, as well as literally, in Hannibal’s hands.

The man sat on a chair opposite to his. “You’ve lost a lot of blood. Also, one your kidney and a part of your liver were damaged. I had to remove them but as for now, you will survive.”

Will swallowed a breath. “But why?” It took a lot of effort to remain calm, but Hannibal seemingly enjoyed such behavior. Which was good, it gave Will at least an illusion of a chance to get out alive. The sad truth was that he had no real reason to desire to survive; only that basic, primary instinct.

“Because you interest me.”

“Do I? I don’t think I’m that interesting.” Once the words left his mouth, Will wanted to bit his own tongue. What a stupid response!

“We’ll see, hm?” Hannibal winked. “Now, the best way how to deal with the blood loss is a good meal and drink. Especially meat and red wine is a wise choice.” He reached toward the plate and removed its cover with one nonchalant move. The food still smelled wonderful, white smoke lazily rose from its edges. Despite everything, its shapes were somehow disturbing.

“What is it?” Will murmured. He really didn’t like what happened with Hannibal’s face after that question.

“Quinto quarto, the fifth quarter, how the offal was called in ancient times. A kidney and a piece of liver. With…” His host continued describing the exquisite recipe but Will couldn’t pay attention anymore.

Sinking into his own thoughts he came up with an unpleasant conclusion. What was the chance that mentioned organs were his own? How crazy the doctor might actually be?!

“You don’t believe I’m gonna eat this, do you?!”

“Dear Will, you should take back what’s yours. No need to be afraid, I’m an excellent cook.”

“I see – also very modest.” Will’s eyes turned away from the plate. And Hannibal had no more mercy or patience with him. A good dinner shouldn’t go to waste. The doctor simply dug a fork into the kidney and moved it on the empty plate at his place. A moment later he stared at Will’s face full of disgust.

After he chewed the first morsel, Hannibal announced with satisfaction: “You are delicious.”

“And you are a cannibal!”

“I am…” while talking, Hannibal cut another mouthful of the kidney and held it on the fork between their eyes. “If you won’t eat, you can tell me the story about how the death of your dogs made you hate the whole humanity. I’m hungry to know more about you.”

 _Again, why would he even?!_ “Fine!” yelled the involuntary guest. Frowning, he grabbed another fork and cut from something that probably was his liver. Before he brought the first bite into the mouth, Will freed his _secret power_. The one which always made him demanded by FBI and all the types of brain researchers. Doctor Hannibal Lecter himself would be surely impressed if only Will decided to tell him. However, he was afraid that instead of being eaten he would end up locked in the doctor’s cellar forever. With these two possibilities, death seemed better. Such worries aside, he tried to empathize with the host – become him enough to enjoy the disturbing feast. Unfortunately, it turned out working better than intended…

“Interesting,” evaluated the doctor, using that word again when Will swallowed and devoured the piece from prongs of his fork. And the man didn’t stop until his plate was completely emptied. Hannibal kindly passed him the rest of the kidney. Watching Will eat appeared to be enough to make Hannibal feel full. When all the meat was gone, the host carried away plates and soon returned with dessert.

“A sweet dot behind our dinner,” he smiled but Will felt too tired to eat anything more.

Instead of complaining, guest’s eyes raised as he said: “I know why I’m here.”

“Of course you do! Because you’ve wanted to kill me in my own car…”

“Doctor Lecter, I didn’t mean it that way.”

“Oh, thought we are on a first-name basis. Do academic degrees matter between two murderers?” Hannibal’s steps were very quiet when he returned to the other side of their table.

“Fine, Hannibal then. That won’t change why you've saved my life.”

Hannibal licked whipped cream from his spoon. “Tell me what do you think you know.”

“You saved me because you are alone – and you don’t want to be anymore.” It was this simple, yet complicated. “When you found out what I’ve done, you hoped we could become… Friends? Or what?” Hannibal seemed almost amazed. This little hitchhiker truly understood him to the depths Hannibal himself didn't fully understand. And- “But this is not how human relationships work. You’re the psychiatrist, you should know better!”

“Sincere as always,” the psychiatrist grinned. The knife, the one Will happened to know way too much intimate, appeared in Hannibal’s hand. “Are you aware these words could kill you?”

“No, only you could.” Will gasped as the man moved closer. “But I hope you won’t…”

“What makes you hope so?” The words were whispered in empath’s ear. Cold shivers ran down his spine.

“Because- Oh, god!” Hannibal grabbed the chair and turned it to face his guest. Will’s heartbeats gathered speed, like if the organ wanted to jump out of his chest. Yet he managed to make an eye contact with the older man and keep it despite his fear. “Because you wouldn’t destroy your great work just like that, would you?” His breath deepened, the view got more blurry, his whole body started sweating.

“You should not disturb yourself this much. It’s not very healthy after such blood loss.” How easily he could toss around recommendations like that while frightening the hell out of Will! Hannibal just knelt in front of him and stretched forward the hand with Will’s knife. Its tip touched his guest once again and the poor man nearly died on the spot, just from that. The memory of pain deep inside, tearing skin, meat and organs returned in vivid colors…

“We have a shared secret now! I won’t tell anyone, promise!” Will blurted out in panic. And he didn’t like Hannibal’s grin which followed.

“I’m sure you won’t.”

“Please, Hannibal, let me-“ The knife moved fast, too fast for Will’s eyes to follow. Then he realized it cut only into the ropes. Almost unbelievable! He didn’t wait for anything else. Quickly, he lifted up and ran toward the glass door. But he couldn’t even reach them before the damaged body betrayed him. Fortunately, Hannibal was right there to catch him.

“You really need to be more careful these days…” the doctor repeated, carrying Will in a sort of embrace. “Don’t forget what happened to you.” Cold fingers slipped between them as Hannibal decided to remind it to him by touching the bandaged wound. The younger man shivered under the touch. “Your body needs time to heal.”

“I- Thanks.” Finally, Will managed to stand on his own legs again. “Guess you won’t kill me, after all…” A corner of Will’s mouth quirked up as his eyes flicked away from the other man’s face. Yet he knew Hannibal smiled. “Am I allowed to leave?”

“Of course you are. This is not a prison, it’s my home. But before you go, please, let me give you some antibiotics. To prevent future complications.”

 _What did I do so right?_ wondered Will while slowly gathering confidence in Hannibal’s words. “Okay.” The whisper on Will’s lips turned into the blush of his cheeks when he withdrew from Hannibal’s arms. _What a weird situation I’ve got myself into..._ A lot of time passed since someone was kind to him. And this man seemed like the last one from whom would Will expect anything good. Yet here he was waiting for Hannibal’s return despite the deep urge to run right away. The doctor brought him promised pills and let him go. There were no warnings, no threats, no goodbye. Only silent steps out of the door and the darkness which could hide anything.

But Hannibal remained in the light of candles, facing his own surprise and… Shame? For the first time in his entire life, he allowed one of his victims to survive. It felt as if he surrendered to the other man and it was both disturbing as well as fulfilling. However, Hannibal knew he should be somehow ashamed of his weakness. He had set free someone who could easily cause his fall. Yet, Will wasn’t his victim per se – and Hannibal was curious what would happen. Or what wouldn’t.

***

Time went day by day and so far Hannibal got almost sure the tricky event with Will Graham would not backfire. Since they had parted, he didn’t hear about Will again. The hitchhiker murderer sometimes still made an appearance in media but nothing more. Actually, the last victim was found in Virginia several days ago. It looked like Will kept running away from his old life – and from him.

However, about a week or two later, Hannibal got caught by a strange feeling of déjà vu. Driving his car behind the Baltimore city borders, Hannibal spotted something with a corner of his eye. Someone. A lovely guy standing on the road edge.

_Was it-? That couldn’t be…?!_

He stopped the car, quickly, with a terrible piercing sound. Dark marks remained along the tires' path of travel. At least five other cars mimicked the move just in time to prevent a car crash. Their drivers started furiously tooting. It was a righteous anger yet Hannibal couldn’t care less. When his car didn’t move, the others drove around, their mouths full of insulting words shouted right out of opened windows. The doctor just sat there, fingers pressed around the steering wheel, and ignoring it all.

_This… was much more than just a stupid déjà vu. It had to be!_

Despite all driving rules Hannibal turned the car to the other side of the road and drove back. This time he stopped more fluently. The door of the passenger seat soon opened. The never forgotten curly head poked inside.

“I was afraid you won’t take me this time…” Will smiled, then sat inside without waiting for an invitation. Hitchhiker’s face looked unusually relieved despite the obvious strain of pain which stabbed in his innards as his belly bent.

“Will?” Hannibal still couldn’t fully embrace his presence as a fact. He knew how stupid his staring face had to look but how to stop?

Will smiled, amused: “Yes, that’s my name.”

“Huh, sorry… I just- I didn’t expect to see you again.“ Finally, the doctor managed to blink without fearing the person next to him wouldn’t be there anymore.

“You still have my knife, ya know?” A little smirk.

“Oh, is that why you sought me?” Hannibal did his best to hide the stab of disappointment from his voice.

“And I have the clothes you’ve borrowed to me.” There was an unmistakable joy in Will’s words.

“Okay. I have the knife at home…”

“Let’s go, then.” Because he couldn’t stop the raising grin, Will turned his face toward the side window. However, Hannibal wasn’t staring at him anymore. The world behind the car’s glass started moving and they both silenced.

 

This time, Will could enter the house via its front door. Hannibal led him through a hall, around several closed rooms, the kitchen and they ended up in the dining room again. For a while, Will gazed at the chair to which he had been tied weeks ago. He let out a heavy breath, didn’t notice Hannibal who just found something in a nearby drawer.

“Here,” he stretched a full palm toward Will. “Your knife.” Its real owner smiled and carefully touched it. But in the next moment, his second hand cupped Hannibal’s one from the other side and didn’t let it go.

“Hannibal, you dumbass!” Will whispered upon the confused face. The warmth of Hannibal’s skin slowly soaked into Will’s fingers which caused him to shiver. “I’m not here for the knife…”

“Will.”

“My name, again.”

“Indeed,” Hannibal laughed. _This is stupid! Why am I behaving so stupid?!_ He coughed to ease his tight throat. “Tell me, Will, why are you here, then?” Hannibal knew, of course, he knew now! However, he needed to hear it from Will’s perspective and fully understand.

“Because… I don’t want to run anymore.” The knife slipped out of their conjoined hands but none of them cared. “I’m still missing my family – but I just might have found a new one… That is, if I understood your intentions right.” A glimpse of hesitation landed on Hannibal’s face as Will dared to raise his eyes up. The doctor seemed amazed.

“Are you a mind reader? Or what’s your secret?” He felt caught but not ashamed this time, thanks to the other man.

“Nah,” Will laughed and his hands squeezed stronger. “It’s hard to believe that you didn’t hear about Will Graham and his empathy disorder…”

“Apparently, these rumors haven’t reached my ears so far.” For the first time, fingers locked between Will’s palms went forward to his touch. “Whatever it is, it’s right. The day after we had parted I hoped you would return. I regretted that I let you go.” His empty hand reached out for the younger man’s cheek. Will immediately leaned into the touch and let himself be pulled closer. Hannibal’s lips pressed dry but soft against Will’s forehead. The touch sent a shiver down Will’s spine which drew his body closer as well. Almost instinctively, Will pressed into doctor’s embrace and found strange comfort in his mild scent. It tickled in Will’s nostrils like something well-known but almost forgotten. Maybe they had known one another in a different life… The sound which uncontrollably escaped the younger man's throat reminded of a silent purring. It made Hannibal give him a faint smile. Gently, he wrapped arms around other man’s back and started rubbing his tensed muscles.

“Oh, Will, you’ve been truly missing kind touches, haven’t you?”

“Shut up!” he growled into Hannibal’s shoulder. But the arms curled around Will felt like a home. His body eased and after a deep sigh he added: “You have no idea…”


End file.
